"Hey, don't blame yourself. I knew you were just trying to get us a gig. Whether you lied or not, it's not my place to decide if you did the right thing."
Outside, the pair found themselves leaning against the palace wall. Many looked at them, curious how beggars had managed to sneak into Katharos, but the pair couldn't be bothered to care. Simon, specifically, had too much on his mind; he was dejected by the waste of effort, time, and money this pilgrimage had been.
Additionally, he felt responsible for Solomon. The bags under the younger boy's eyes worsened Simon's ever-increasing guilt.
"I'm sorry, man. I'll pay for whatever happened here," Simon said. His shoulders drooped, his eyes looked distant, and his demeanor was weak. It wasn't the confident friend Solomon knew.
It was for a perfectly justifiable reason. Although he was saving money to have his mother treated, his sense of responsibility for failing a friend was also pulling at his conscience.
Unbeknownst to him, Solomon felt the same.
"As expected of Katharos, it's full of people who are so full of themselves." Breaking Simon out of his thoughts, a low grumble, quiet enough to ensure no one else heard it, vibrated through the air.
Taken aback by the brave words that loomed in the air, Simon looked at the source.
There stood Solomon, grinning from ear to ear. His eyes weren't jolly, nor was his grin happy. Leaning against the wall, Solomon held a steady yet sneaky stare, seemingly lost in thought.
"We're here, so let's enjoy it to the fullest." He pushed off the wall, placing both his hands inside his pockets.
"What does that mean?" Simon glanced at Solomon, who was still smiling to himself.
"I'm performing, uninvited or not."
"What?" Simon looked at him as if he were crazy. Solomon was a man with ambition; Simon knew that. However, he wasn't crazy enough to take risks just for some payback.
Surely he wouldn't—
"Citizens of Katharos! The royal parade is upon us—and I shall kickstart our experience with a humble yet exciting performance!"
In the town center, a young teen bowed dramatically with a top hat in his hands. He was wearing a masquerade mask, exuding a mysterious yet intriguing look. He wasn't that eye-catching at first glance, mostly due to his surroundings.
The town center of Katharos was riddled with luxuries and technologies that weren't available anywhere else. This was mostly attributed to the presence of the academy, just west of Katharos.
Mystical trees glowed purple and shimmered, reflecting a magical shine off the clean canal surrounding the massive area. Floating candles and spheres playing calming music rotated in the vicinity, providing a deeply mystical vibe. Yet, those features were nothing compared to the floating, hollow, circular platform that served as the second level of the town square.
However, as people stared at the source of the announcement, Katharos's ingrained culture of maintaining appearances led them to question the teen's clothing.
"Is he really a performer? He looks more like a beggar than anything with that shabby suit." Questions started to rise in their minds.
Questions that Solomon knew they would ask.
After ensuring that everyone was looking at him, he threw his suit open, revealing a colorful and vibrant costume underneath. Adorned with various markings and fluttery designs, it immediately captured the crowd's approval.
"He's a performer, alright. It's a jester." The crowd started to grow, eagerly watching the young man in front of them.
"I was just getting bored." The crowd's smiles turned wide.
"Good morning, everyone; you can call me—The Magician!" He threw his arms wide as if unveiling the sun itself, his voice booming across the square with exaggerated delight.
"Before the grand and exciting Royal Parade begins, I'll be showing you beautiful ladies and handsome gentlemen a performance you'll remember. A new magic..." He grinned, intending to show off. Although he couldn't say why, the old man's insult had hit a nerve that hadn't been struck before.
"A new magic?" they whispered.
"Yes! A magic that no mages nor detectors can detect!" he lied blatantly.
"Is he serious?" Everyone's expressions turned serious. Many furrowed their brows, yet their eyes remained fixed on the young man.
"But of course, this is a street performance! And what is a street performance without a donation box?" Solomon bowed once more, hiding his chest and entire torso from the crowd. On his way back up, however, doves burst from his jacket.
"Whoa! What?"
"Is he a student of Ars? He might just have some weird technology."
"It's a little weird. I can't predict what he's going to do next."
Some accepted it as it was, amazed by what they saw; some questioned their eyes, while others tried to rationalize it. Most citizens of Katharos were exposed to mana at a very young age. Paired with the artifacts and mana tools they carried all day, they were always prepared in case dangerous magic was used in their vicinity. However, at this moment, they couldn't tell what Solomon had just done.
"Hey, Sol. Wizards are watching. I'm telling you, man, this is not a good idea." Simon, who was standing behind Solomon, tapped him on the shoulder.
Seeing a man floating in the air with a massive staff in hand, only the blind wouldn't know a wizard was watching him. Regardless, Solomon knew that what he was doing wasn't actually magic. If the wizard was eagerly watching, it was probably just because he was entertained.
Satisfied by the crowd's reaction, Solomon kept going, using cards, bunnies, and various props that continued to shock the audience. Despite their earlier suspicions, everyone was entirely immersed in the show, with some even rushing to volunteer. In just ten minutes, the town square had grown loud, gathering more and more people.
Yet somehow, Solomon's smile grew wider. Was I always such an attention seeker? he thought to himself.
As the prideful nobles gathered the attention of the crowd by volunteering, more and more people raised their hands to participate.
Not long after, the crowd started to cheer his name.
"Clown! Clown! Clown!"
The crowd continued to grow. The wizards watching numbered more than he could count on his fingers. They stood quietly, observing the teenager performing below. Some had stern and steady looks, while others were smiling.
Since Ars was just next door, most of the wizards watching were teenagers just like himself. It was understandable that they found simple entertainment fun.
"Hey... I see the Chief of Recruitment all the way in the back. He has some guards with him, so I think it's best to wrap up soon. He has a nasty look on his face. Since he's responsible for the royal parade, he most likely doesn't want anyone causing a scene." Disrupting the show, Simon once more tapped Solomon's side, subtly pointing at a familiar old man.
"Besides, this is way more profitable. You have around a hundred gold coins already. You're fucking rich!" Simon whispered enthusiastically, his eyes shimmering at the sight of the coins inside the top hat.
Noticing the ever-growing number of guards surrounding the town square, Solomon knew it was time to go.
"Thank you so much, everyone!" he bowed.
"Awww. Come on, it was just getting fun!" The crowd started to groan in disappointment.
"Well, the parade is upon us, so I'm sorry, everyone! Nonetheless, I do have one last trick!" He bowed, glancing at the coin-filled top hat, a smile forming on his face. Although he was certain most of the money would be confiscated by security, he could still hide some of it within the nooks and crannies of his sleeves.
Besides, what was important right now wasn't the money. It was the exposure to the big spenders of Katharos. They had to know his name—and what better way to spread it than a memorable final act?
"I need one last volunteer!" he called out, prompting a massive wave of raised hands among the crowd.
"Yes, you! The little girl on the right."
A young girl wearing a puffy dress and a large ribbon approached Solomon. Her curly red hair and deep crimson eyes were enough clues for him to figure out she was a noble from a powerful house. Her fingers fidgeted, and her lips were tightly pursed. However, her pace remained constant, her gaze fixed entirely on Solomon.
As she walked toward him, Solomon grabbed a deck of cards from his bag, carefully hiding their markings from the girl and the surrounding crowd.
The moment the young girl arrived in front of him, Solomon spread the cards.
"These are tarot cards, unique types of cards that I made," he announced, remembering the contents he had read in his mother's book.
"So, I need you to pick one of these cards, and I'll tell you what you picked. Is that alright?"
"Okay, Big Brother Magician." Following his instructions, the little girl immediately picked a card.
"The Empress! This card is the Empress; maybe it means you'll become one someday."
"Nonetheless, keep this for me, little lady." He placed the card in both of the girl's hands and gently closed her fingers over it.
"Now, everyone, please keep your eyes steady on this deck."
"And as for the little lady... Without looking, you know for sure that your card is in your hands, right?"
The girl nodded hurriedly, intently watching Solomon's hands.
"What if I told you I managed to grab the card that was in your hands and replace it?" He smiled, showing the back of the deck in his hands.
"What? That can't be... I've been holding it since— What?!" The little girl spread her hands open, revealing nothing but empty air.
"Of course it wouldn't be there, young lady. It's in my hands!" Solomon turned the top card forward, revealing the exact same card.
"Still no mana disruptions?"
"Yeah, he's the real deal."
"Wooo! The Clown!"
Cheers and praise started spreading through the town square. Coins began to overflow from his top hat as clapping vibrated through the air.
"But of course, it doesn't end there!" Solomon announced abruptly, cutting through the cheers and causing everyone to focus once more.
"Huh?"
"What...?"
Satisfied by the crowd's reaction, Solomon gripped the deck in his hands firmly, waiting for the perfect moment to throw the cards into the air.
In his hands, after all, was a deck made entirely of Empress cards. It was a deck he had painstakingly painted for a full day during the week he spent preparing for the parade. He had practiced the trick multiple times at home, mastering it to the point that his movements were flawless.
However, this time around, something happened. Something the ordinary Solomon didn't expect. Something extraordinary.
Right at the exact moment before he threw the cards, the ring his father had given him began to glow a deep violet shade—a light that seemed visible only to him.
"Wha—"
As the cards escaped his hands, they flew high up into the air, revealing their faces to the crowd below.
They were all Empress cards. The same card they had seen earlier: a beautiful lady in a long white dress, sitting on a throne with a crown on her head.
Some were amazed, but most were confused. Unlike his other tricks, this one felt different.
They felt something that had been missing since the performance began.
A second later, the lady adorned in the white dress and gem-filled crown appeared in the sky. Towering in giant form, her gaze was steady, and her smile was confident. Her hair was a curly deep red, and her eyes were as crimson as her hair. It was the adult version of the little girl who had volunteered.
"...It's... It's magic!"
As the presence of mana became evident to everyone, an even bigger commotion erupted. The wizards watching from above wore expressions of absolute amazement and shock.
Did they just witness the birth of a new type of magic?